The genus ‘skibob’ has a long history, going back to the 19th century. Some of the first patented “skibobs” are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 473,434, 485,345, 566,438, and 1,209,398 and are essentially a bicycle frame fitted with skis in which wheels are interchangeable with skis. This concept appears again in U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,361, where a pedal-powered “snow bicycle” is pictured, but the devices of interest here are gravity-propelled and are used recreationally for skiing down snow-covered slopes.
A modern variant is represented in U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,441, where the ski attachments include brackets intended for adapting a standard bicycle frame to small skis. Foot pegs are substituted for the pedals and crank. A bicycle saddle is mounted on a standard coil-spring shock absorber. Wound springs are used around the “axles” in the ski mounting brackets so as to bias the ski tips slightly upward, ensuring a safe landing in the event that the rider becomes airborne. A general method of riding a gravity-propelled skibob is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,055.
Skibobbing has proved to be an exciting winter sport; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,414 provides a recent review of commercialized versions. Not surprisingly, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,588,138, 5,863,051, 6,626,441, and 6,783,134, and PCT Publication WO1998056640 are directed to collapsible frames. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,588,138, a seat (21) which pivots on the front post is supported by a posterior seat post with clamp member which detaches to collapse the seat. US Patent Application 2006/0197294 is also directed to a collapsible variant, but with a monoski, for “facilitating transport and access to ascending systems”. Skibobs with laterally placed pairs of skis are also known.
Geary, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,783,134, also remarks on the need for improvement in accessing chairlifts, commenting that “a major disadvantage to the traditional skibob is that it's bulkiness does not lend it to transport on a standard ski lift. Selected embodiments of the [Geary] invention overcome this disadvantage by having the seat post collapsible such that the ski vehicle frame and seat fit underneath the seat of a ski lift . . . with the snow bike handlebars resting on the user's lap,” essentially as shown in FIG. 20 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,783,134. Geary further teaches, “The rider is able to sit down on the ski lift as a normal skier would with the snow bike handlebars resting on the user's lap. When exiting the ski lift the user places one foot underneath one of the foot pegs to support the snow bike until it contacts the snow. The user can then exit the ski lift as a normal skier would, return the seat post to its upright position and begin skiing. In other embodiments, a bracket can be mounted on the frame so as to project therefrom. The bracket is configured to support the frame on a seat of a ski chairlift when the seat of the ski vehicle is in the lowered position” (Col 1, line 58-Col 2, line 6). The method can be performed without the claimed bracket simply by holding the snow bike handlebars on the user's lap, but as commercially available, the bracket also braces the seat when in the upright position. Geary teaches away from the use of fixed frame skibobs in his method of riding a chairlift.
Note that the above art relates to normal skiers, and that for disabled and persons with limited physical abilities, barriers to access to the ski slopes with skibobs have not been addressed. It is generally impractical for a disabled person to manhandle a skibob on a chairlift as proposed by Geary. The rider using such a skibob risks dropping the skibob from the chairlift or being pulled off by the heavy skibob. The disabled rider is unlikely to be able to master the difficult challenge of jumping down at the offload platform, running clear of the moving chairlift, and reassembling the skibob seat before remounting.
“Sitskis” (which are essentially a seat mounted on a single ski) have been introduced for amputees and paraplegics, such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,632,408, 6,019,380, 6,036,202 and 6,179,305. Originally, these skiers were raised and lowered out of the chairlift by an assistant or assistants, but these skiers have also learned to push up the seat “bucket”, which is mounted on a pivoting arm fitted with a suspension, lock the bucket arm with a hand-operated lever, drop back into the oncoming chairlift bench, strap themselves to the bench, unlock the bucket arm, and at the top of the lift—unstrap and throw themselves down off the bench onto the chairlift offloading platform, using their arms for strength, and landing upright on the low-slung monoski. These individuals typically have strong upper body strength, and maneuver themselves using ski crutches, called “outriggers”, strapped to their forearms. Not all disabilities are confined to the lower body, however, and skibobs are suited for a broad range of disabilities where a sitski is not appropriate. Skibobs permit many disabled persons to enjoy skiing, and improved access to chairlifts for these devices is a longstanding unmet need.
Other barriers to the use of skibobs exist for disabled persons. Ski lift operators have been fearful that a skibob will fall from the chairlift, injuring those below, or that a disabled rider will become ensnared in the chairlift and be dragged around the bullwheel. Also of concern has been the possibility that the skibob, if released when freestanding, can slide away from the rider's grip, possibly colliding with or tripping someone. Dismounting from a chairlift poses particular hazards, particularly given that the offloading areas of chairlifts frequently do not meet established standards.
Thus, there is a need in the art, for a skibob that can be enjoyed for a smooth and exciting ride, but be less physically demanding. Disabled riders are more likely to benefit from a progressive suspension, and to require mechanical adaptations for controlling the tips of the skis. The various features of the present invention improve access for disabled or sedentary persons to the ski slopes and contribute to the general safety of that experience for the rider and for other skiers.